Second Place
by Rinna81
Summary: Bella and Edward are in love forever...or at least until Edward meets a new girl in school. Could this newcomer destroy everything Bella and Edward built together? UPDATE: 7.18.09 Chapter 13
1. Chapter 1

Second Place

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters except for Aria.**

_"Love is a choice you make from moment to moment." Barbara De Angelis_**  
**

I took Edward's hand uneasily as we hurried through the packed hallways, looking for our new classrooms. Even though Edward and I had most classes together (including Gym) I was still upset to be gone from him more than a minute. A part of me always seemed to die if he left to get me food, or get his backpack.

"Bella," Edward purred, pulling my hand gently loose. "People are wondering why my hand isn't falling off." I glanced down and saw my hand squeezing Edward's in a death grip.  
"Sorry," I mumbled, freeing his hand from mine just a bit.

"Today's going to be exciting isn't it?" I could tell from the glint in his eyes that he was eager to watch me perform in Gym.

I grunted once and looked away, blushing. I focused on the other students as Edward barked an affectionate laugh. A group of freshmen girls were eying Edward and whispering behind their hands. Some older girls were looking at me with expressions of envy and malice. I shuddered and turned my face in towards Edward's chest. Sure, I would have to get used to girls being upset with me for stealing their love.

"Edward," I whispered, standing on my tiptoes to reach his ear.

I wasn't sure, but I thought I saw him flinch at the warmness of my breath. "Yes?" He breathed, pulling me closer to him by putting his arm around my waist.

"Can you stop being so irresistible?" I asked, swallowing the urge to snicker.

He turned on me, looking into my eyes with his brow raised. I was sure that he was going to burst out laughing soon. "I don't think that's possible." He teased, leaning down to press a cold kiss to my ear.

I smiled sheepishly and moved my head so that I could kiss his lips. Edward gently crushed my chest to his and moved his lips expertly over mine. A trembled in his arms and longed to kiss him forever, but he pulled away. "Bella," He murmured, stroking my cheek, "I'll never leave you, so don't worry. I love you." Edward added, kissing my forehead than shifted me so that I was just holding his hand.

I sighed and leaned my head against his arm, letting him lead me to our first class.

"I love you too," I said, barely audible. I still knew that he heard it because he touched his lips to the top of my head.

"You know Bella," Edward said in a low purr, "You're becoming bolder now,"

I gawked at him. Bolder? What did that mean?

"What?" I asked, and my face flooded with heat.

Edward laughed appreciatively and pulled me closer, "You actually kiss me in the hallway now,"

I grunted at that and jokingly punched his shoulder, "Yeah, I only do that now, because I'm pretty sure your fan girls won't attack me in the hall anymore,"

"Fan girls?" Edward asked. I didn't respond.

We finally reached our classroom, English, and stepped inside. The room was almost completely full, and Alice was waiting for us in the back, saving two desks for us. I smiled at the sight of her and hurried down the aisle with Edward on my arm.

Alice waved gaily and pulled out the chair for me. I nodded my thanks and sat down, Edward sitting next to me. Alice engaged Edward in a conversation and I peeked at him out of the corner of my eye to watch his mouth while he spoke. I sighed; I loved the way he talked.

Ms. Handon, the English teacher, came into the classroom and clapped her hands together for attention. Everyone sat up abruptly, waiting for her to speak. "Class," She said, "We have a new addition to Forks High School."

Everyone sat up straighter in their chairs. Edward snorted and I gave him a confused look. He leaned in toward me and placed his lips next to my ear and said, "All of the boys are wishing for a beautiful girl,"

I didn't respond to him, but felt a chill as his breath swirled down the collar of my shirt.

"She's not in this class right now," Ms. Handon continued, "but, you may see her in the hallways from time to time. Her name is Aria. Be sure to give her a nice, big Forks High School welcome."

The whole class relaxed now, for they didn't have to entertain a new student at this time.

English went by in a blur. We were beginning to read Vanity Fair, which Edward, Alice, and I have read hundreds of times. Alice was chattering happily to me, her small hand resting on my forearm. I answered her comments cheerfully, and once in a while Edward would join in the conversation. Other than that, he looked away as if searching for something.

After about two minutes of watching his distant face I asked, "Is something wrong Edward?"

He jumped out of his thoughts and turned to me, smiling easily. "No, I just smell something new that's all. It's far away, but it seems..." He trailed off, his eyes shifting to Alice.

"Yeah," Alice said, sniffing in gently. "It's a new smell. Very nice, I must say," A low growl came from Edward's throat, so low that I was sure I wasn't meant to hear it. I pretended I didn't and studied a sign plastered on the door of our next class.

What was the growl for? Did he think the smell was appealing and thought I would be offended? I almost laughed at that thought. It was just a new smell that the Cullens had to get used to.

"Well," Alice said, grinning, "I'll see you later, I have gym now," She rolled her eyes and danced off. I watched the back of her black haired head until Edward pulled me into the Calculus Classroom.


	2. Chapter 2

_"You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one." James A. Froude _

I stubbornly held on to Edward's hand as we both prepared to go our separate ways for class. He had A.P. Chemistry and I had U.S. Studies.

"I swear that I'll be here for lunch alright?" Edward's words didn't exactly comfort me, but they made me let go of his hand at least. He kissed my cheek swiftly and left me standing alone in the packed hallway.

Calculus had been difficult, much to my surprise. Even though it was the first day, the teacher gave us eight pages to read and twenty "warm up" questions for homework. My backpack was still light though, which was good.

I swiftly maneuvered my way through the hall, and the number of students began to thin as people reached their classrooms. Two more minutes and the bell would ring. I had a bad habit of reaching classes after the bell, partially because I fall down a lot in the crowd of students.

I rounded in the door of the U.S. Study room just as the bell rang. A timid looking black haired girl came in right behind me. Her face was slender and pale, and she had brilliant blue eyes that seemed to pierce me. When she noticed me staring, she shied away, her cheeks turning an attractive pink color, which was better than my dark scarlet blush.

Then, in a moment, I knew that this had to be the new girl Aria. She didn't look like a freshman, because she had a well developed figure, and she didn't look like anyone I knew. "Hi," I said, as gladly as I could. Aria's sapphire eyes bored into mine as she replied with a nod.

I strode over to an empty desk and almost fell into it. I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples. When I was doing this exercise, I heard a chair being pulled across the floor. My eyes flickered open and I saw Aria had claimed the seat next to mine. I smiled encouragingly at her and she smiled back. I had to introduce her to Angela, for they were in the same mold to me.

As class started, most of the students turned around to stare at her. I sympathized completely, because that had happened to me over a year ago.

The teacher, Mr. Fredrick, began a long speech about the World Wars, and he seemed quite preoccupied with that. I reckoned that it was safe to now talk to Aria.

"I'm Bella Swan," I whispered over to Aria. She pushed her long curtain of black hair away from her face to look at me.

"I'm Aria," She said plainly. I was confused that she didn't say her last name, but I didn't push it. Her arms were wrapped around her midsection, and she looked extremely uncomfortable.

"What brings you to Forks?" I asked, struggling to make the conversation flowing and open.

Aria flashed me a brilliant smile that almost pushed me out of my chair. "My mom wanted me to go to University of Washington in Seattle for dance." From the way she said the word 'dance' I knew that she must be in tap or ballet.

"Oh, do you dance?" I said, smiling. I'd never seen anyone dance, well unless you count Alice walking.

Aria nodded and her grin widened, "I do ballet."

A wave of jealously spread through my body. I wanted to be Aria for a moment. I'd never really experienced jealously this strongly before. Being in ballet meant that you were graceful, and I was nothing short of graceless. Her beauty was also stunning. She could pass as a vampire if she didn't have blue eyes and pink cheeks. Her figure was similar to Rosalie's and her hair was a thick, luscious black.

"Wow, I wish I could dance," I said, thoughtfully. No need to tell her that I couldn't even walk straight.

"It's the most amazing thing!" She said, leaning towards me. I found that I was leaning forward also, wanting to know what it felt like to be graceful. I never asked the Cullens what it felt like because it'd be too awkward.

Jealousy was pulsing through my veins now. I wish that I could do something that made me this ramped up. Aria was positively beaming as she spoke. The only good thing I could do was have good smelling blood, and that didn't count for anything.

The conversation turned a corner as Aria said, "Do you know Angela Weber?"

My eyes widened in surprise and I muttered, "Yeah, she's one of my good friends,"

"She talks about you often,"

What? I was seriously confused now. How did a new girl know Angela? "How do you know her?" I asked, voicing my thoughts.

"We're in a musical together," Aria said, confused, "Angela told me that you were good friends, I wonder why she didn't tell you,"

Wow, this was news. I was thoroughly shocked. I always thought of Angela as a shy, modest person. I would have never guessed that she would be into theater. "When is it? I might come and see it because Angela's in it."

Aria smiled and her hair fell over her shoulder. She really looked like a vampire. I wish I did. I wish I did so much that my stomach ached.

"It's on the University campus," Aria said, ripping out a piece of paper from her notebook. She scribbled some ticket prices and times on the loose-leaf than handed it to me. "This is when it's playing; it costs fifteen dollars per ticket."

I took the paper and looked down at it. Why was I doing this anyways? Was it just me, or did her eyes hold persuasive powers like Edward's? "T-thanks," I stammered, folding it up and cramming it into my pocket.

I spent the rest of the class pretending to listen to the lecture, but my mind strayed to this mysterious girl. She was too beautiful, she was too persuasive, and she was too perfect. Was she a vampire? I risked a glance over at her; her cheeks were darkening in color as she erased something on her paper. No, she couldn't be. Could she be a half-vampire? Where there such things?

I vowed to do two things. One, talk to Edward about half-vampires, and two, go see the show for Angela's sake.


	3. Chapter 3

_"Whenever a friend succeeds, a little something in me dies." Gore Vidal_

I caught up with Angela after school, by maneuvering through the gloomy crowd of disgruntled teenagers. No one was happy with the start of the new school year, but I was excited. I had new mysteries to solve. If I told Edward that, he'd question my sanity.

Angela was standing idly by Jessica, who was gabbing to Lauren about clothes or something unimportant. Angela's face was weary, and her eyes had dark rings beneath them.

I came up silently beside her, so not to attract attention to myself. When Angela saw me, she beamed, seeming happy to get away from the girls. I turned and walked around the corner, and she followed.

"I met Aria today," I said, with a slight tease in my voice. In a matter of seconds Angela's expressions went from embarrassed, guilty, and then cautiously sophisticated. I almost smiled.

"Yeah, she's cool I guess." She waved her hand as if it wasn't important, but the blotchy blush on her cheeks gave her away.

"She said she's in a musical," I hinted, a small grin appearing on my face.

Angela recognized defeat and sighed, "I guess you know than," She said, dejectedly.

"Why are you so upset?" I asked, not completely understanding her sad expression.

"Well, now your going to tell Jessica and she'll never let it go," Angela sighed again and looked away.

I began to laugh then. Angela stared down at me, obviously confused by my reaction. "I won't tell her," I said finally, and Angela smiled.

"Thanks," She said, the tension between us evaporating.

"But, I'm going to go and see it," I said, linking my hands behind my back.

Angela's skin paled, but she seemed to be thinking very hard, "I suppose you won't make fun of me, so it's alright."

Before I could say anything, Angela pressed on, "It's a great show. You'll like it a lot. It's like Swan Lake but better."

I nodded, pretending to know what Swan Lake was. I was genuinely happy for Angela, but I felt a little put-out. The nasty jealousy was slowly moving through me again.

Why was I being so selfish? I wanted Angela to succeed right? Right. I did.

The jealousy left me again and I could breathe.

We said our goodbyes to each other and went our separate ways.

Edward was waiting for me in the parking lot; his eyes were annoyed yet worried. He looked so beautiful when I walked up to him. Edward seemed very upset, but before he could start ranting, I took his hand in mine and said, "Sorry,"

Edward was momentarily stunned, but he gathered me in his marble arms and whispered, "No problem,"

I lifted my face to his and smiled. "Would you like to go on a date with me?" I said, pressing my front against his arm. A shudder ran though his body before he grinned back at me.

"Where to?" He asked and his voice held a playful growl.

"To a show,"

Edward nodded and kissed my forehead. "So bold," He muttered under his breath. I stifled a giggle, knowing that I wasn't meant to hear it.

A sudden thought sprung to my mind. It was outrageous to bring it up now, but I couldn't help myself. It just slipped off my tongue and the moment it did, I regretted it severely.

"Edward, are there such things as half vampires?"

Edward growled, not playfully this time but angrily. "What did Alice tell you?" He snapped, his eyes flaming.

I flinched against his stone body but didn't leave him, "Alice didn't tell me anything," I said, almost defensively. Edward relaxed a bit, but his eyes were still hot.

"Half vampires are rare," He muttered, quietly. "Hard to distinguish, but dangerous. That's all I'm saying now,"

I frowned. I hated it when Edward did stuff like this. Tell me something that tickles the mind, but then close the subject.

"Get in the car, we're going home," I could tell Edward was struggling for a happy face, but it wasn't working. His brow was furrowed the whole drive home, and I didn't know why.


	4. Chapter 4

_"The sad truth is that most evil is done by people who never make up their minds to be good or evil." Hannah Arendt_

Edward gave me a chaste peck on the cheek to say goodbye to me. I didn't argue, because we both knew that Charlie was watching.

Charlie greeted me at the door by waving a newspaper at me. I waved half-heartedly and walked past him, into the bright kitchen. A strange smell filled my nose, and I realized Charlie had something cooking on the stove.

When Charlie strolled into the living room and flipped on the television, I took a peek at the dish that was simmering in a steel pan. It appeared to be fish, from what I could tell. Its shape was bizarre and lumpy, and I poked at it with the wooden spoon next to the pan.

"It's for dinner, Bells," I leapt a foot in the air and turned, the hairs on the back of my neck bristling. Charlie was standing in the doorway, still holding the newspaper.

"It looks good!" I said, as enthusiastically as I could. He gave me his crinkly eyed smile and sat down at the table. I followed, not knowing what to expect. The moment I hit the seat, Charlie's inviting face disappeared and the interrogation began.

His face darkened and I felt like I was sitting under a bright light.

"Do you know what's happening in the town now Bella?" He asked his voice low and growling.

I gulped, "No?" What brought this on? I thought, reaching across the table and grabbing a nectarine from the fruit bowl on the table.

"Horrible things are happening. Read the first story." Charlie thrust the newspaper at me. I looked up from the fruit and read the headline: _Inhumanely Slaughtered Animals are found Scattered across Forks. _

My eyebrows rose as I read the article.

**Animal expert, Robert Manyan, suggests that Anti-PETA protesters may be resorting to violence. Manyan also says that he is not sure that a human would be able to produce such terrifying results to a corpse. **

**The animals, eight deer, were found lying in Ms. Pemoria's front lawn.**

**"I never saw anything like this," Senior Citizen Ms. Pemoria said last night, "It looked like a bulldozer just chopped the deer apart. I almost lost myself just staring at them, which is not a rare thing to happen to me."**

I stopped reading because I found that I couldn't breathe. Could the Cullens have forgotten to dispose of their food? I glanced up at Charlie, who had relaxed and was now resting his head against the wall behind him.

Why did Charlie want me to read this? Did he suspect me or something? I almost laughed. How could I destroy an animal like that?

"Did you read it?" Charlie asked, leaning forward, his face tired looking.

"Yeah," I said, pushing the paper back towards him across the table, past my forgotten nectarine.

"Strange stuff is happening," Charlie said, taking the paper and tucking it under his arm. "Just wanted to warn you. I bet it's the work of some disgusting hunters who just love to kill animals. If you see anything give me a whistle. The fish looks like it's done,"

I turned to the fish, that was simmering slightly now. "Oh, right."

I set the table and placed the finished fish on our plates. Charlie came in and ate without a word, then left to go watch some more football. I just sat in my chair, not touching my food because my stomach was churning.

Could this have something to do with Half Vampires? My stomach heaved and I swallowed thickly. I stood up, and reached for the telephone.

I had to get some answers, and the only one that was going to give me any was Alice.

The phone rang six times before someone picked up.

"Hello?"

"Carlisle?" I asked, fidgeting with the cord.

"Oh, hi Bella, I'll get Edward for you,"

Carlisle took a breath to call Edward's name, before he did I interrupted, "No, Carlisle, I wanted to talk to Alice."

Carlisle was silent for a moment than he replied, "Sure, of course." He called out Alice's name and within a second Alice was on the phone.

"Bella?" Alice breathed, sounding pleasantly surprised.

"Hi Alice," I said, smiling. I loved to hear her delicate voice.

"What do you need?" She asked, still good natured.

I took a deep breath. This plan was risky because Edward might be listening in on Alice's thoughts. "Uh, Alice, do you think you could get out of range so that Edward doesn't hear you?"

"Oh, sure." Alice said, hiding her curiosity very well. "Edward don't listen!" She said to someone away from the receiver. "Okay," Alice muttered, "I'm outside now."

I took another breath. Why was I so afraid? Well, I was more afraid that Edward would be mad. "Alice I need to ask you a question,"

"Shoot," She said, quietly.

"What are Half Vampires?"

There was silence for awhile then Alice said, "I don't know if I should tell you this..."

"Don't you always?" I asked, pressing for details. I paused to listen if Charlie was eavesdropping. A cheer came from the living room, indicating that someone scored a touchdown.

"I guess," She sighed, "Well, it's very complex. It doesn't happen often."

I didn't respond, forcing her to keep talking, "Okay, it happens when a vampire...and a human mate."

"That's possible?" I asked then I immediately blushed. I slammed a hand over my mouth and Alice chuckled on the other line.

"Yes it is, but it's very dangerous, for reasons I will not go into." Her voice lost all trace of laughter then, "But when a half-vampire is born, it is somehow a cursed child."

"Cursed child?" I mouthed, frowning.

"Mhm," Alice muttered, her voice lowering, "Their life is very difficult. They are on the edge of good and bad. The evil they commit is neither good nor bad because they cannot help but do it. They do not crave human blood as we do, but they will drink it if necessary. Instead, they want animal blood. The weaker the animal the better for them."

My jaw dropped. Eight deer killed. Deer are weak; I didn't say anything because I knew my voice wasn't yet steady.

"Their abilities are not as powerful as ours, but they can still run fast and hear well, but they have human attributes too. For instance, one might love eating food, and another might be extremely clumsy, like you."

I blushed but held my tongue, waiting for her to finish.

"If you fall upon a Halfling drinking, it may be the last thing you do. They are savage creatures that love to torture others. Yet, some may be very good, with just a dash of bad."

"But why are they so bad? They don't sound much different than a human or vampire except for the messy eating."

"Because," Alice said impatiently, "They have a power that..."

Her voice trailed off and I clutched the phone tighter in my fingers, "Bella," A husky voice asked. Goosebumps rose on my flesh and I froze. It was Edward. "I'm disappointed."

The line went dead then. My heart was pounding in my chest and I lowered my hand from my face.


	5. Chapter 5

**A truly pointless chapter, but it deepens the bond between two good friends. A little bit of fluffy brother/sister love. Enjoy! (Will be commented on in later chapters.) **_  
_

_"It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them." Ralph Waldo Emerson  
_

I put the phone back on the hook and rubbed my hand over my chin. This was not good; Edward was known to have a horrible temper. I flinched, poor Alice. She was dragged into this by me!

I walked into the living room and sat beside Charlie on the couch, staring straight ahead. The football game was coming to a close now, the marching band was moving like a herd across the field. It was obvious Charlie's team lost because he looked extremely gloomy.

"Something on your mind, Bells?" Charlie asked, concern was etched all over his face.

"No, no," I said, laughing dryly. "I just wanted to hang with you, that's all."

Charlie raised his heavy eyelids at me but didn't say anything.

The minutes passed in silence, the sponsor commercials were on television now, Charlie and I watched them. Charlie was the first to get up, "Well, I have to get to bed. Early rise you know,"

I nodded and said goodnight to him. Even after Charlie left the room, I still sat there, my mind churning over the information Alice had given me. Half Vampires tortured people. That wasn't right at all. What if Aria was a Halfling? I groaned. The last thing I wanted to think about was her. Beautiful, lovely Aria.

Why was I so jealous? I had Edward that was all I needed. But, I thought, another groan escaping my lips, He might just break up with me for "knowing too much" or something like that. That would be something Edward would do.

I couldn't take it anymore. I stood up sharply, listening intently for the squeals of deer or another small animal. The only sound was the soft chirping of crickets.

I retired up stairs, after taking a long, hot shower to relax my tensed muscles. Edward surely wouldn't be here tonight, would he? Surely not. He'd never be able to stop the stream of complaints. He'd save that for tomorrow morning. I shuddered; I didn't want to think about tomorrow.

Would Edward ignore me to punish me? Or would he just give me an icy stare? Or not even be there at all? I felt a real thrill of fear at the last one. Even if he was upset with me, I couldn't bear to be away from him.

I stepped out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around my body, my hair was dripping and the water was slipping down my skin. When I was in my room, I let my towel drop and I walked briskly to my pajama's that were laying on my pillow.

I slung the pants over my shoulder as I grabbed the silk top. I was about to button up the shirt when I heard a soft chuckle behind me. I swung around, my pants soaring off my shoulder.

It was Emmett. I covered myself immediately, blushing such a magnificent color of red, I could somehow see it.

"Sorry for scaring you," He said, smiling broadly, handing me my pants that had landed on his knee.

"Emmett!" I hissed, snatching them back, my heart thudding wildly in my chest.

Emmett laughed again, quietly, so not to wake Charlie, "I said I'm sorry. Are you that upset to see your brother?"

I gave him such a hard look that he turned around so I could finish getting dressed in peace. "Okay, you can look now," I said, my voice breathless. I was still so shocked and embarrassed.

Emmett swung around and gathered me in a bear hug. I blushed deeper and he let go, beaming at me. "I'm not upset to see you," I muttered, looking at my feet, "I just didn't want to be naked in front of you,"

"Oh that," He said, stifling a laugh, "I closed my eyes. I only saw everything," After seeing the mortified look on my face he rephrased, "Okay, I didn't see anything. How indecent do you think I am?"

I laughed airily and gave him another hug. "I'm glad to see you," I shifted so that I could see behind him. The window was wide open. "How did you fit?" I asked, looking up at him.

Emmett had trouble being quiet now. After his attack of laughter ended he took a breath and said, "I fit somehow, I swear it took me fifteen minutes just to get through,"

We both smiled and I pulled away so that I could see his face, which was illuminated strangely in the lamplight. "What are you doing here?" I whispered, sitting back onto my bed.

Emmett followed my lead and sat next to me, his cheerful face now grave. "I came to talk to you about Edward."

My heart gave a splutter of fear and I clutched the sides of my thighs. "Yes, what about him?" I asked as innocently as I could. Emmett ruffled my hair and smiled.

"You guilty mouse, you know what I'm talking about," I nodded, acknowledging defeat. "He just sort of lost it," Emmett said, thoughtfully, turning so that I could only see his profile. "I suggest you take it easy with the Halfling questions. It's kind of touchy for him, you know?"

I shrugged, wondering why he was so mad. Edward really had no more reasons to keep secrets from me, when he knew that I was going to be a vampire, whether he liked it or not. "What happened to Alice?" I squeaked, wallowing in a pool of regret. I shouldn't have forced her to say anything.

Emmett sighed, scratching his head, "Well, Edward and she just had a shouting match for a while. It was so loud; it hurt my ears so bad. Carlisle then separated them, letting them cool off. I just snuck off without them knowing, but Edward'll probably know where I went by now."

It was my turn to sigh now. "He's going to be pretty angry tomorrow I guess." I said, stating the obvious.

"Naturally," Emmett muttered, folding his arms over his thick chest.

"So," I said, turning and grinning at him, "You know I already knew that he'd be angry right?"

Emmett smiled timidly too, "Yeah?" He said, it sounded like a question.

"What's the real reason you came here than?"

If Emmett could blush, he'd be red by now. He ran a hand through his hair and laughed. "I wanted to see you. It's been too long Bella,"

"Yes," I agreed, leaning my head against his shoulder. He really was like my brother.


	6. Chapter 6

_"Life is a quest and love a quarrel ..." Edna St. Vincent Millay  
_

I went to sleep easily last night, due to a large fact that Emmett was joking with me until I hit the pillow unconscious.

When I woke, a dim green light filtered through my window. I basked in it for a moment before I pulled my hair into a bun at the nape of my neck. I checked it in the mirror, Not bad, I thought as I pulled out a green shirt and dark blue jeans. The shirt was too large so I switched it with a navy tank top my mother had given me as a gift.

I figured that it would be much too cold to wear it alone, so I pulled on a black sweatshirt. There, I thought, re-doing my hair.

Breakfast was uneventful. I read the newspaper, searching for any more stories about killed deer or something. I really had no reason to be doing that, but an unknown force just kept me waiting. A big thing was going to happen soon.

I wasn't dreading seeing Edward like I was last night. Emmett made me feel so at ease that the peace spread out to this morning, but in a few hours that would fade and fear would captivate me. I didn't dwell too much on that prospect.

As I went outside to start my car, I noticed that thick, grey clouds were spreading across the light blue sky. I sighed. Thank God I had an extra jacket in the car; I wasn't in the mood to search for my usual raincoat.

When I arrived at school, I parked as far as I could from the silver Volvo. I planned to ignore Edward, if he was mad. I'd make him go crazy, until he gave in. Then I'd apologize.

I spotted Alice at once. She looked strange, almost sick. Her face was grave and her lips were turned down into an impressive grimace. I craned my neck to see who she was talking to.

It was Aria.

I tensed now. What did this mean? Why was Alice so worried looking?

Aria began to laugh good-naturedly and Alice joined in. After they were done, Alice appeared to be alright.

I slung my purse over my shoulder and locked my car. I took a deep breath before venturing out into the unknown. I turned around a car sharply so that I could avoid the Volvo.

It was a fruitless attempt because Edward would be able to find me, if he wanted to that is.

Alice glanced up and saw me approaching. She smiled and waved. Aria followed her gaze and waved at me too.

I cringed. Why was I going into a group with two beautiful girls? I'd stick out like a sore thumb.

"Hi," I said, breathless, as I got to Alice's side. They both smiled their hellos at me and the force of their equally white teeth knocked me back.

I looked down, hiding my blush. I could see that Aria was blushing too.

"Where's Edward?" I asked quietly to Alice.

Alice turned her head and her brow furrowed, "I think that he's fuming somewhere, still heated from last night." I glanced up at her and she rolled her eyes, "It was nothing. He was just being a baby."

"Men usually are," Aria said distantly, staring over the heads of oncoming students.

I nodded in agreement and hitched my backpack up. "Well," I said, pushing a stray hair behind my ear, "I'm going to get to class. Alice, Aria," I pushed my way through the ever growing crowd.

I passed Jess, Lauren, Tyler and Mike on my way to English class. Mike stared at me with lustful eyes, I instantly felt uncomfortable. The other three acted as if I was some particularly unpleasant bug, that couldn't be killed, like a cockroach. I winced. A cockroach, hated among others.

Ms. Handon was already in the classroom when I came in. Edward was not. I sighed. I could breathe again. The knot in my chest was tightening with such great pain, that I wheezed for air.

I sat in my seat and stretched my hands out before me. My fingers were cramped from carrying my books and clenching around my backpack straps. I only did that when I was deprived of Edward.

A few minutes later Alice danced in, her lips were pressed in a tight smile, like she was hiding something shameful. I took out my text book, waiting for Edward to arrive.

The seconds passed and he didn't come in. I began to grow impatient. Was he going to be late just because he was upset with me? I bit my lip, He wouldn't be that stupid.

The last bell resounded through the classroom and that was when Edward chose to make his appearance. I gasped out loud when I saw him, and I immediately knew that this was my beautiful, brutal, wonderful, horrible punishment.

Edward was wearing a white undershirt that clung to his chest and stomach muscles. He had the sophistication of a celebrity, but the physique of a god. His hair was sticking everywhere and a single strand fell into his golden eyes. My heart was racing, yet splitting in two. He was doing this on purpose, to make me jealous with want.

All of the girls in the class including Ms. Handon ogled him with shocked eyes. "W-w-w-welcome to class Edward," Ms. Handon stammered, as the papers she was grading slipped from her fingers. Edward flashed a brilliant smile and my heart smashed in my chest.

The jealousy I had been feeling these past few days burned in my veins, causing me to blush an angry red.

Fine, I thought, my teeth cemented together, if he wants to play dirty, so will I.

With a single breath, I pulled my sweatshirt over my head and placed it on the chair behind me. The cold air instantly burned my skin, but I sucked it up, resolute to win. The jealous monster in my head began to claim victory, because as I sat there, my shirt exposing an embarrassing amount of cleavage, Edward stared at me, open mouthed.

He then promptly bumped into the corner of a girl's desk, which caused her to giggle manically and cover her face with her hands. All of the boys in the class were now watching me with raised eyebrows. This was not something conservative Bella would do.

Edward glared at nothing the rest of the class.

Bella: 1, Edward: 0

* * *

**This was a fun chapter to write, the beginning of the end, I might say. **


	7. Chapter 7

_"Yesterday I dared to struggle. Today I dare to win." Bernadette Devlin  
_

I spent the next three hours going to classes in my tight tank top. I didn't put on my sweatshirt, even though I was freezing. Aria gave me a strange look in class, but I carefully avoided her gaze.

When I walked into lunch, Alice laughed at me.

"Wow," She said simply, her eyes glancing at my uncomfortable posture. "You might just win this game, if you stand up straight and look like you know what you're doing."

I straightened up, and Alice smiled. I wanted to win this incredibly biased game. Edward knew for a fact that he was more appealing to the general population of Forks High School than I was, even if he didn't admit it.

Edward didn't arrive at lunch and I began to feel that straining in my lungs. I needed him nearby even if we were somehow fighting. Alice was glaring at her plate and I wondered if she was seeing something. She tsked and closed her eyes.

"Alice?" I asked, reaching across the table anxiously to touch her clenched hand. "What's wrong?"

She opened her eyes, "Edward's doing something very stupid,"

I had to check myself because my mouth was hanging open. Something stupid? Like getting killed stupid or...

I had my questions answered as my eyes scanned the cafeteria again. Edward was sitting at a table surrounded by thick bosomed, slender girls. He was smiling easily and making them almost drool with want.

Edward: 500,000,000 Bella: 1

Fire licked my veins and I wanted to cry. This was too cruel. He should be more considerate. Tears began to pool in my eyes rapidly and Alice took hold of my hand. "It's okay, Bella, he doesn't mean what he's doing. He's just being an idiot."

"More than an idiot," I choked out, as tears poured out too fast for me to handle.

I glanced up again and Edward was laughing good-naturedly with the girls. Obviously he wasn't paying any attention to what was going on with me. I coughed and stood, Alice rose with me but I shook my head. I had to be alone now, to think, to plan. Could I possibly compete in this broken hearted position?

I began to walk away and I caught the eye of Mike on my way out. He was staring at me with such concern that I almost winced. Thank goodness he didn't follow me. I didn't really want to confide in Mike when crying into his shirt.

I rounded a corner and found myself near the gym. There was a convenient spot wedged in between the snack machine and the wall. I fit snuggly when I sat there and I was free to bawl my head off. I was being inequitable to think that I could win this game. Would we break up because of this?

A thrill of fear wrenched through my veins and it caused me to stop breathing for a moment.

I heard fast paced footsteps coming closer and closer to where I was. It was probably a teacher or something so I made an effort to conceal myself a bit more. The bell rang signaling the end of lunch and I groaned. I didn't want to get to class yet, so I just sat there.

The footsteps kept getting louder and louder until they stopped. "There you are," and I immediately knew it was Edward.

"Go away," I muttered, a fresh wave of tears crashing over me.

I felt his cool hand on my red cheek and I had no choice but to look up into his eyes. "I am truly sorry," He whispered, his breath caressing my hot face. "I have never experienced such guilt in my life."

I closed my eyes and turned my head away. I felt embarrassed now. I should have just sucked it up and confronted him, instead of running away.

I heard him drag his body across the floor so that he was pressed against me. I leaned my head unconsciously against his chest and sighed. Edward kept whispering apologies to me as he rocked me.

I lifted my head so that it was level with his, "It's okay," I muttered, "You won even before the game began." He smiled sheepishly and I almost started to sob because he looked so lost and helpless.

All I could do now was press my lips against his. Our breathing became shallow and Edward was about to pull away before I heard a soft voice a few feet away from us, "Bella, Mr. Meeker is wondering where you are..."


	8. Chapter 8

_"Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises." Demosthenes_

Our heads snapped up to see Angela, standing awkwardly by the edge of the hallway. I instantly pushed Edward away from myself. He didn't resist and stood up, straightening out the wrinkles in his beater. Noticing my tank-top was exposing a large amount of cleavage, I pulled up what little cloth I had to wear.

My face was burning red from my embarrassment. I never thought things could feel uncomfortable with Angela, but I was always wrong about these kinds of things. "He told me to get you." She whispered in a flurry. "Sorry," She added before she turning into a full on sprint to get to Gym class.

Edward and I followed her; we were so shamed from being caught that we didn't look at each other. When we reached the locker rooms Edward held my shoulder to stop me from going in. "What?" I asked, turning, but before I could do anything else he pushed me against the wall and kissed me briefly.

He pulled away and brushed his gentle hand across my cheek, "It's a pity," He whispered, and I didn't need to ask what he meant. I really wished his hand would stop touching me. I hadn't yet caught my breath.

I twisted, unwillingly, from underneath his hand and slipped inside the locker room.

The locker room's walls were covered from ceiling to floor with lockers. I was so dazed, it took me a while to find my locker and remember the combination. When I finished changing into my short black shorts and baggy grey t-shirt I marched out onto the court, ready to receive the worst treatment from Mr. Meeker.

To my astonishment, Mr. Meeker pulled me aside and told me that he knew that I wasn't feeling well and I could go to the office any time I wanted. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Edward staring at me hard, so I played along, thanking Mr. Meeker for his concern.

"Don't play too hard," He said in a fatherly voice and patted me on the shoulder before he went back to instruct the rest of the class.

Edward materialized by my side and kissed the top of my head so fast that I was almost convinced it didn't happen.

Today in Gym we were finishing up the tutorial for the basketball unit. The class sat around, listening to endless talk on how to correctly shoot a basketball into the hoop and practicing dribbling and passing. A small tap on my shoulder made me jump and I saw Angela sitting next to me.

I smile apologetically for my reaction and shifted, hiding my face from Mr. Meeker.

"Bella," Angela whispered out of the corner of her mouth, "Aria told me to give this to you,"

Angela pulled a neatly folded piece of loose leaf and placed it inconspicuously into my hand. I put shoved it in my sock, because I didn't have any pockets into my shorts.

"Why did she ask you?" I whispered to her.

"She was really upset and crying," Angela muttered, "She wanted you to have this. She would've told you in person but she was going to skip."

After class ended, I opened the note in the locker room.

_Dear Bella,_

It read.

_Here's a question to ask Edward: Is it possible to be all bad with just a little good?_

I stared at the page just thinking. Is it possible to be all bad with just a little good? What did that mean? I was slowly starting to suspect Aria more and more, and now I was convinced. It was like she knew that I was so curious about the vampire world, and she was giving me openings. Was this on purpose?

Edward met me outside the locker room, his lean body propped up on the wall. He glanced up at me when I walked out and his eyes flickered to the note in my hand. He sniffed in deeply and a scowl grew on his face.

"Let me see that paper," He commanded, stretching his hand out for it.

I clutched it to my chest and furrowed my brow. "Edward," I said, so quietly. "Is it possible to be all bad with just a little good?"

* * *

**Yay new chapter! I'm sorry I didn't upload in a LONG time, but I was working on other projects.**

**I'm still adjusting to the whole Highschool Exam thing.  
**


	9. Chapter 9

_"There is no use worrying about things over which you have no control, and if you have control, you can do something about them instead of worrying." Stanley C. Allyn  
_

I half expected Edward to go into a mad rage, but his face went blank. It scared me so much that my legs started to shake, he looked dead. "Edward?" I whispered, brushing my fingers against his arm, willing him to wake from his "slumber".

"Bella," He said in a voice I could barely hear. Edward then shook his head and smiled up at me, his eyes bright and clear. There was something different about him, and it made me too uneasy to look at him. My expression didn't escape him and he took my hand in his. An electrical charge went through me, and it wasn't romantic but frightening.

"What's wrong?" This person asked, grinning lightly. There was a dangerous stranger in front of me and I didn't know who to turn to. Something glinted in his black eye which signaled warning bells in my head. Edward leaned forward and pressed his lips against mine.

I froze and I couldn't pull away, not that I could because of his strength anyways. He carefully pushed my head to one side and lowered his head to my throat. "No," I mumbled, trying to pull away.

He wasn't having that, and clutched my struggling body closer to him. Edward placed his marble lips to my neck again and I felt the soft feel of teeth.

It all happened so fast then. Alice flung Edward away, crouching in front of me, her whole body tense and ready for spring. Edward stared at her in polite confusion. His perfect eyebrows raised, and his tongue licking his perfect lips.

"What is wrong, Alice?" He asked, his perfect voice piercing the air. I fell to my knees then, fear pulsing through my veins. Someone took my Edward away from me.

"Bella," Alice said, in an almost bored voice, "Do you have any...specific note with you?"

I was shocked, but obediently pulled out the note from Aria. "Hand it to me," Alice instructed. She took the paper from my fingers and read it over in an instant. "Edward," She muttered, "It is possible to be all bad with just a little good."

Edward laughed dryly and when he stopped he smiled his crooked smile at us. My Edward was back...somehow.

"Sure, Alice, sure." He walked over to us and Alice let him pass. I was gathered into Edward's arms and I peeked around his arm and saw Alice ripping the paper into small shreds.

"Edward what happened?" I asked, still tense as I was pressed against his body.

"What?"

Looking up at him, I saw that he genuinely had no idea what I was talking about. "What's wrong, Bella?" Alice said her voice full of implications. I shook my head, trying to think.

"Nothing," I said, dully, wanting very much to look into Edward's eyes to confirm he was alright. "Just tell me later, alright?" Alice nodded and disappeared.

"What is she going to tell you?" Edward asked, almost angrily. "I don't want anymore pressing into things you shouldn't..."

With a quick spin I was out of his arms and was able to think so much easier. "What?" He pressed, I could tell he was confused and hurt by my reaction.

"It's nothing," I grinned, trying to soothe his worries. "Edward, is it possible to be all bad with just a little good?"

Edward's face twisted into the creature that I saw before. "Of course. Come here Bella." He grabbed hold of my arm.

"Edward," my voice came out in a shrill scream, "It is possible to be all bad with just a little good." He let go abruptly.

My heart thudded in my chest and I turned sharply. "I'm going home. Catch a ride with Alice, will you?"

I ran to my car then, stumbling the whole way. I knew that Edward was still standing there too confused to move.

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**Sorry, but this chapter is a LOT of talking. It's rather important. Very actually. **


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N Okay. First off, I would like to fall on my hands and knees and sincerely apologize for not updating in one million years. If you are reading this now, I love you LOVE YOU for sticking with this story through its long months on hiatus. **

**Secondly, I have had writers block for the past few months now. It was bad to the point where I'd sit down at my computer, type two words, then be so drained that I'd have to shut down my word document. Now I'm back in writing club and inspiration is flowing through me again. (Yay!) **

**So without further ado, here is the next installment of Second Place.**

_"Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood._

_Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less." Marie Currie_

Edward...Aria...Good...No...

My mind was racing as I drove home, my car being pushed to its limits by going at least 20 miles over the speed limit.

I was sure that if anyone drove past my car and looked at me, they would think I was a crazy person. A sickly pale girl muttering in her car was not very attractive.

I had no idea what to do now. Edward's savage face was etched in my memory and the note's words kept repeating themselves over and over. If Alice hadn't been there...No. I refused to think of what would have happened. I couldn't let myself believe that Edward would ever do anything to harm me.

When I got home I pulled the key out of the ignition and just sat there, zoning, my head buzzing in fear and confusion. It clicked right then and there that I had gone in too deep. After this whole year of Edward warning me over and over about him, I had finally realized how dangerous he really was.

"Good job, Bella," I muttered darkly, pounding my fists into my steering wheel, causing small dents to appear in the soft leather.

This was something I should have just left alone, but now it was too late.

At least I knew that something was wrong about Aria now. That sweet serene face was shielding a mad creature which I was positive to be a Halfling. How could she not be?

All good with a little bad? Something like that. My conversation with Alice that night was mostly forgotten by now after the note.

I got out of the car just as Charlie pulled up in his. He got out and smiled at me as if wondering what I was doing outside. We walked through the front door together, not saying a word. It seemed I wasn't the only one with something on my mind.

I started dinner while Charlie watched TV. Routine set in and I forced myself to stop thinking and just make dinner for the both of us.

After about five minutes of turning off my brain, I found I couldn't keep it up any longer. I took to pacing in the hallway leading to the front door all the way to the living room. Charlie seemed to be genuinely concerned when I walked out of the living room for the twenty fourth time.

"What is-?" But I didn't get to hear the rest of Charlie's question.

The smoke detector buzzed loudly in the hallway and only then did I snap out of my semi-conscious state. I realized that I had left the chicken in the oven too long.

Sprinting to the kitchen caused me to slip and fall onto my elbow. I stifled a yell so that Charlie wouldn't investigate. Examining my arm I found that a dark purple bruise was blooming over my skin. I had to admit it was a rather pretty color.

I hopped back up and continued my mission of saving dinner. I went to the oven and I pulled the metal plate out, forgetting the oven mitt, and burning my fingers.

A moment passed and I let out a scream as a delayed reaction. Charlie bounded through the hallway to reach me after smelling smoke; hitting the hinge of his bedroom door and cutting open his arm.

After the beeping stopped, Charlie walked into the kitchen, stumbling as he bumped into the table. We both stared at each other, cradling our wounds. Pieces of chicken were scattered around me from when I let go of the pan. Charlie silently knelt down and started picking up the strips of meat.

I stood and let my hands sit under the cold water blasting from the faucet. "It seems both of us are out of it," Charlie commented, ripping a paper towel off the roll to clean up the blood from his arm. My stomach twisted, but I focused on the pain in my hands and nodded. "We should have someone look at that," He said, coming up next to me, staring at my now blistering hands.

"I'll be fine," I responded, wiping off my hands gingerly. Nothing gauze and Neosporin couldn't fix. "What do you have on your mind, Dad?" I asked, trying to keep the conversation topic away from me. I wanted to know what was up with him, because he usually wasn't as clumsy as me.

"Well," Charlie said, blushing a magnificent shade of crimson. He backed up against the kitchen wall, bumping his head on the spice rack, sending a few plastic containers to the ground.

I turned and scrutinized him, now extremely curious. "I have...a date tonight." My head spun and I felt the urge to fall to the ground as Charlie said those words. He seemed to be a child as he looked up at me from the floor, picking up the remains of our dinner. I started to laugh.

"Oh god Charlie," I breathed, placing a hand on my chest before I remembered it was burnt. I jumped in pain but smiled down at him, "I'm so happy. I was afraid it was something really bad."

Charlie stood, still standing awkwardly, "Um. Right." He turned and went up to the stairs to get a band aid, colliding with the wall again. "Gauze, Bella?" He asked before going up.

"And Neosporin," I said, and he left. Charlie had a date? I thought, easing myself into one of the mismatched chairs.

I tried to fix dinner by making a salad and sprinkling shreds of the chicken that survived the crash. It was hard to hold my fork, due to gauze wrapped around my burns causing a centimeter thick barrier between my swelling skin and the outside world.

As I ate in silence I made a deal with myself. I wouldn't even ponder what happened after school until Alice or someone came to explain. I could just imagine Emmett climbing through my window again.

Or Aria climbing through my window.

I shuddered violently and hurried to clean my plate. My appetite was gone due to thinking about that girl. Or thing.

She had done something horrible to Edward. I had so many theories that it was starting to hurt. And through the jumble in my mind, I realized that I wasn't afraid of Edward, but Aria. Even though Edward was going to...Even though Edward was going to do something unfavorable, it wasn't his fault.

Something about that letter made him act all bizarre. I really wish Alice didn't destroy the paper. Maybe if I got a better look at it I could see some runes or mysterious scribbles on the side margin.

The house phone rang then, making me leap out of my skin and take a moment to recover. I picked it up and winced as it made my fingers throb.

"Hello?" I asked, the pain evident in my voice.

"Bella."

It was Alice. Thank God! I was waiting for this very person to call me.

"Oh Alice, I've been so worried. What is going on? I have to know, please!" While I was freaking out a bit, Alice was trying to shush me.

"I know Bella. I know. But telling you on the phone isn't the safest way to discuss things. Remember last time? Look, I'm driving to your house now; I'll be there in five minutes. We'll go for a drive and talk okay?"

I nodded fervently and replied, "Sure. That'd be great." She hung up then and I followed suit, my heart pounding and my face flushing.

"Hey Dad?" I yelled, knowing that he would hear me for he was just in his bedroom getting ready for his big date.

"Yeah Bells?"

"I'm going to hang out with Alice if that's okay."

He took a few minutes to respond but finally said, "Sure. But can you help me tie this tie please? It just won't work for me."

I smiled weakly and walked into his room and choked at the stench of cologne in such a small space. I'd never seen Charlie look so formal before, it was so strange to see him in a Tux instead of his usual stained Sheriff outfit.

I fixed his tie as best I could, considering that I had no idea what I was doing. "You look very nice." I told him, smiling encouragingly. It was visually obvious that he was nervous.

"Thanks," He breathed, as he tried to mop up the pool of sweat around his collar. Yes, he was very nervous.

A faint beeping of a car horn told me that Alice was outside and waiting.

"See you, Dad. Good luck."

He grinned, coincidence growing in him.

As I walked to the door, I was still warm inside from Charlie's giddiness, but as I got outside, a sudden chill reminded me what I was going to talk about. My smile faded as I approached the tinted windowed car, wondering what dark secret I was about to learn.


	11. Chapter 11

_ "The beginning of knowledge is the discovery of something we do not understand." Frank Herbert_

The heat was obviously on in the car, which I thought was strange considering that it was September. I couldn't see Alice's face for her hair swung forward hiding it. I didn't even want to imagine what kind of pained expression she held.

Words were lost in my throat so I stared down at my wrapped hands, experimenting how much pressure would cause the greatest amount of pain. The car set off smoothly down the road, and I was surprised that it was going at human speed.

The tension grew the longer we sat in silence. Alice was the first to break it.

"Bella, please do not be afraid or angry with Edward."

A laugh escaped me and Alice turned to stare at me with a mixture of relief and shock.

"I could never be angry or afraid of Edward. It's just impossible." I smiled, but was somewhat embarrassed admitting this aloud.

"Good," Alice muttered, looking to the road again.

"The only person I am afraid of is...Aria."

When I said her name Alice visibly flinched even if it was barely noticeable. "Good," Alice repeated.

Another silence fell upon us and I was starting to grow impatient.

"Can you please tell me what's going on?" I shifted in my seat so that I was facing her best I could. Alice wouldn't turn to me.

"Just wait a moment please." There was no heat behind her words, but I recoiled as if there were. I felt like a child, begging for the grown ups to tell me about their grown up talk. A blush grew under my skin.

"What happened to your hands?" She asked, trying to change the topic for a moment.

"Nothing," I replied blankly. I was not going to let myself be sidetracked. The silence returned.

After what seemed like an eternity, Alice stopped the car. She stepped out and I followed suit. When I stood outside she was already next to me. We were on the edge of the forest cutting this town off from the rest of the world. "Do you see that?" Alice said, pointing to a tree somewhere in the distance.

I squinted, "Nope," and suddenly felt ashamed of being a human. Alice didn't show any impatience though.

"May I pick you up? I can run there holding you."

I consented and she lifted me gently in her stony arms. When Alice ran it was more graceful than Edwards. I felt like I was flying and had a strong urge to lift out my arms like a bird.

Alice came to a stop in front of an ordinary looking tree. I opened my mouth to point this out when she directed my gaze to a small symbol that was carved into the trunk. I had to bend down close to it to make out the inscriptions.

There was a small heart, and inside the heart were initials.

E.C.

A.N.

"E.C." I whispered. I traced the outline of the letters and felt a shiver in my spine.

"Bella," Alice muttered. Turning, I realized that she had moved up right behind me. "You know that Edward used to attack humans right?"

"Right," I replied, a sense of dread settling over me.

"Well...where do I begin?" Alice rubbed her forehead with bony fingers and sighed.

"Right after Edward was turned he went and attacked humans up in the Seattle area. One night, Edward sort of lost control and went on a rampage in a school for girls. Aria was one of the students. I am almost completely sure that the teachers in the school knew that Aria was a Halfling because when Edward cleared out of the building they blamed her for all the students' deaths."

A shudder went through my body, causing me to kneel onto the damp ground. It shouldn't have come as a surprise to me, but when Alice confirmed that Aria was a Halfling it made everything so real. And so frightening.

Alice lowered down to my level and continued. "Aria fled, angry and depressed. Depressed that some of her friends were killed and angry that the teachers had so little faith in her as a Halfling. Aria explained to all of them that Halflings do not desire human blood, but they didn't trust her in the end.

So, she ran off, searching for the vampire who did this to her. Edward, meanwhile, was back where he hid during the days and was disgusted with himself. He was cleaning the blood off his body when he smelled her. Halflings naturally smell better than any human to full blown vampires. Even after he drank so much, the scent made him go wild.

He ran to the source of his thirst and found an upset girl hiking near his hiding place. Edward invited the girl to go on a walk and there she told him of what happened to her school. Edward was so fascinated with this girl's scent and mind that he never told her that he was the one who killed her classmates.

Aria, having no place to go, lived with Edward for a few months. He found out about her being a Halfling only a few days after knowing her, and to her surprise he accepted her. She never realized that he was a vampire for he kept it highly secret that he was hunting in the city.

Over time Aria fell deeply in love with Edward. Edward only considered her a close friend and a sisterly figure. He wanted to show her where he used to live. Together they traveled to this very clearing and Aria carved their initials into this tree. Edward didn't notice that she did this, and I'm sure to this day he still doesn't know.

They returned to Seattle, and that is when something terrible happened.

Edward ended up killing four children who crossed his path when he was drinking.

He was so ashamed that he never returned to Aria who was waiting for him up in some mountain where they lived together."

Alice stopped talking abruptly and I stared up at her. "You're crying," She said, running her finger underneath my eyes and showing me the glittering tears. I wiped them away hastily and pushed her to continue.

"That was when Edward had a change of heart and returned back to Carlisle and Esme."

"Well, what about that paper!" I said, moving closer to Alice, eager to know what it was.

"That is...the source of Halflings power. You see, they are able to bring back old...behaviors. It's hard to explain. For instance, if you completely recovered from alcoholism they could make you relapse by just saying one thing that you spoke when struggling with the disease."

"So the words on the paper, is it possible to be all bad with just a little good, was a question that Edward must have asked her when he was killing humans..."

Alice nodded, "Precisely."

"What do we do now?" I asked, my stomach doing cartwheels.

"We have to make sure that Aria doesn't make Edward relapse and...that she never finds out that he was the one who killed her friends."


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: I re-edited chapter 11. After reading flamingo1325's review I finally found what I was looking for. I was looking for some connection between Aria and Edward so I said that they loved each other. The review pointed out to me that Edward's first love was Bella, that's what made it so special. I changed the story so that Aria had a one sided love and Edward thought of her as a sister. I'm happy with the changes because I feel that Edward is a little more in character now. Thank you so much for reading. Here is chapter 12 of Second Place. R&R **

* * *

_ "Fear and uncertainty are your compasses toward growth." Celestine Chua_

Alice drove me home after another hour of staring at the tree. I traced and retraced the letters E. C. to the point where my fingers were raw from scraping against the bark. I checked my hands underneath the bandages and saw that huge blisters were forming. I knew that it was going to be impossible to write anything at school.

Alice volunteered to drive me to her house so Carlisle could take a look. I declined using the excuse that I wasn't ready to see Edward yet and that was the truth. If I saw him now all I'd be able to see was a crazed vampire.

When we arrived at my house the transition of the steamy car to the chilly night air was enough to push all the air out of my lungs. I hurried to the front door, fumbling to get the keys out of my pocket with my fingers restricted by the gauze.

The front hallway light was off so I turned it on as I walked into the kitchen. I screamed in shock, my hands flying up to my mouth.

Edward was sitting on the yellow flowered pattern chair with a pained expression on his perfect face.

He didn't look at me until I started to moan because I smacked my face causing pain in my fingers. "Bella," Edward stood up and the chair clattered to the floor. The sound was so loud it hurt my ears. He was at my side in a second holding my hand gently in his own.

"It's okay. Just a little scratch." I tugged my hand back. His eyes revealed that he was stung by my tiny rejection. I sighed, wanting to comfort him but not knowing how to after I just learned so much about him.

"Bella," Edward whispered, making no move to touch me again. I suspected that he was afraid I would push him away. "I am sorry if I upset you in any way. I do not know what I did but please forgive me. Please."

My mouth dropped open at his words. "What? Edward, I'm not angry at you. Not at all. It's just...things have happened today and..."

"Yes, I figured that when you ran away from me at the end of school. What happened? Was it that damn werewolf--"

"No. I was just really tired." My breathing became shallow. He didn't remember what he turned into. God, does he even know what could happen to him because of those words he spoke so many years ago? I picked up the kitchen chair gingerly and sat down upon it letting out a small huff. Edward was kneeling by my side instantly. He took my hand in his again and he pressed it to his face inhaling softly.

I smiled and tears came to my eyes. My poor Edward. Something bad was going to happen to him, and I was just a stupid human who couldn't do anything to help him. I placed my hand on the side of his face and bent forward to kiss his parted lips.

He responded cautiously as always, and pulled away just as I was getting into it. His eyes caught mine and he became alarmed.

"Bella, what? What is wrong?" He stood, cradling me in his marble arms. The tears threatened to overflow as I thought how ironic it was that he was worrying about me when he was the one being threatened with his horrible past.

"I'm tired, I want to go to bed," I managed to say through my tears. Edward didn't ask any questions, but lifted me easily and ran upstairs. He put me down on the threshold under the impression that I was going to take a shower. But I went right to my bed and settled under the covers still wearing my jeans and shoes.

It was bizarre but underneath the covers I felt safe from everything that was haunting me, like Halflings. I almost laughed at my idiocy because a Halfling could tear through these blankets like paper.

The next moment Edward was in bed next to me, stroking my cheek and worry in his face. I smiled weakly to try and convince him that I was fine, but he obviously wasn't buying it. He pulled the covers back and took off my shoes for me. I jumped slightly as he unbuttoned my jeans.

He noticed what he was doing and his hand flinched away from me. "Sorry," He muttered. Edward averted his eyes as he handed me my pajama pants. I began to laugh. He joined in with me, quietly at first, and then both of us were roaring with laughter at his reaction.

After we settled down I pulled him into a hug that would have strangled another human, but it seemed to him that I was barely touching him. He buried his face in my hair.

"I love you," I whispered, kissing his exposed neck. Edward sighed and repeated my words but with such feeling behind them that he put every romantic male lead in movies, books, and plays to shame. I blushed and kissed him again.

He pulled me back so he could kiss my lips. I responded eagerly as always and this was one of the rare times where he let me go a bit farther than usual. My arms wrapped around his neck and kept me kissing his mouth even as he rolled onto his back. His hands ran up and down my torso, tracing my curves and traveling up my spine. It gave me Goosebumps.

I slid my knee between his legs and just as I freed my hands to explore his face we both heard the front door open.

Charlie was home.

Edward disappeared from underneath me and I hit the mattress with a thud. I heard heavy feet walking up the stairs and I got up to check how his date was. I went out into the hall and ran into Charlie. We both fell back a few steps from the impact, but recovered quickly.

"Hey Dad," I said as casually as I could. I was still out of breath from Edward's kissing.

"Hey Bells," Charlie replied without much feeling.

"How did the date go?" I asked carefully, fearing that it went badly. Charlie then brightened up.

"Oh it was very nice. Yeah." He then started for the bathroom but turned to look me up and down.

I almost groaned because he noticed that I was out of it.

"Bella," Charlie said, catching sight of my unruly hair, flushed cheeks and unbuttoned pants. "Is...anyone here?"

"No Dad," I said, waving my hand. Charlie narrowed his eyes but didn't press the matter. He walked into the bathroom and shut the door, leaving me in the dim hallway, breathing heavily from the fear of being discovered. I retreated back into my room, pulled on my pajamas and got in bed.

Edward was beside me. "I think I should go tonight. Charlie is very suspicious." He kissed the top of my head. Then he was gone.

Then all of today's discoveries came crashing down on me without Edward here. I curled up and started to cry for fear of Edward's safety, and everyone else's.


	13. Chapter 13

**Okay. It's so strange that I began to write this story freshman year and now I'm going to be a senior this upcoming year. So firstly, I'm sorry for lack of updates over the years. I explained it all on my profile page. And secondly, I'm really sorry if some of the story elements don't add up, such as class schedules of Bella and Edward or dates. If you spot anything like that just point it out in a PM or review and I'll fix it promptly. And lastly, I LOVE YOU GUYS. Hahah if it wasn't for your continuous support I wouldn't even be writing this chapter now. Thank you soooo much. Now before I blab on for twenty more years here is the thirteenth chapter of Second Place.**

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_"You can't crush ideas by suppressing them. You can only crush them by ignoring them." -Vachel Lindsay_

The next morning, I moved around numbly as I got ready for school. I was even ignoring my burned hand. The swelling was considerably better than it was last night. It still stung, but not too badly. I changed the bandages and convinced myself I didn't feel anything at all.

I was easy to block out the pain when I was busy thinking of what I had learned last night from Alice. I didn't even know how deep in thought I was before Charlie pointed out to me that I wasn't wearing socks and trying to put my right shoe on my left foot. I blushed at this error and scurried out of the kitchen to the laundry room in search of clean socks. Charlie followed me, carrying his half eaten bowl of Cheerios.

"Hey Bells?"

"Yeah," I mumbled, turning around, socks in hand.

"Those are my socks."

Usually I would have just returned them to the hamper, face red with embarrassment, but I slowly sank to my knees. Still clutching Charlie's socks in my hand, I realized how frightened I really was.

I didn't know what was going to happen to Edward. For all I knew, today at school Aria could say those words and Edward would kill me. I shuddered, partly of that thought and partly because Charlie put his arm around me trying to help me to my feet.

"Dad, I'm fine." I shook him off a little too forcefully. His eyes glinted with concern and I hastily made up some excuse of staying awake all night studying for a test. He pursed his lips but didn't inquire further. This is why I loved living with Charlie. He knew when to back off.

I finished getting ready, careful not to make any more mistakes and cause Charlie to worry.

I drove to school with unusual speed, my bandaged hand resting in my lap. I was desperate to see Edward. Even though I was slightly afraid of him I still couldn't be parted from him. Just as I parked my car, narrowly missing a pair of freshman walking by, sunlight burst forth from the shallow clouds overhead.

Without pausing, I shifted the car in reverse and sped out of the lot. No way was I going to endure a whole day of school without Edward, especially in my condition. My hand rummaged through my purse in search of the cell phone Edward bought me last Christmas. I haven't used it once, but it would come in handy now. First I called Charlie, informing him that I didn't feel good enough for school and was on my way home. I felt kind of guilty going back home because today was his day off this week and I didn't want him to feel obligated to watch over me.

Stopped at a red light, my fingers hesitated over the keys. Should I call Edward? I made up my mind and slipped my phone back into the depths of my bag. Today I needed some me time. I realized that Alice told me too much and I was in shock. To emphasize that point, I noticed how I was shivering with cold when the temperature read 60 degrees, a warm day in Forks standards.

Charlie was waiting for me at the front door, tackle box and fishing pole in hand and a torn expression on his face. My car skidded to a halt with a loud bang and I got out of the car, nearly colliding with one of the trees that lined our driveway.

"Dad," I said, just as I opened the door. "I'll be fine. Go out, this is your only day off this week right?" He paused on the threshold, looking at me with hard eyes. "I'll be fine." I repeated. I raised my eyebrows and he left, after telling me numbers of the doctor, and where to reach him.

Fully knowing I wouldn't need any of that I just nodded, not really taking it in. I closed the front door behind Charlie and walked to our calendar, checking to see if I had any reason to be at school. The only thing on today's square was Show 7:30.

I groaned out loud. I had completely forgotten about my promise to Angela. I headed for the phone, fully prepared to call her and tell her how sorry I was I couldn't make it, but remembered she was in school. Instead I plopped down on a chair and weighed my options.

Angela was one of my best friends. I had to go to the show to support her. I couldn't bear to disappoint her. But then, Aria was in the show as well, and that could lead to, at the worst, extreme danger because I had yet to learn what she is capable of.

Edward was supposed to go to the show with me, and if Aria got a hold of him…but wait. I knew how to ward off the beast that she turned him into that time with those words. Is it possible to be all bad with just a little good? I swallowed thickly.

What's happening to me? I'm letting my imagination run wild. Nothing bad could happen when I know what to say. And Alice is just a phone call away. And would Aria really risk trying to do something to Edward in public? No. I am just being a scared human.

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It took a few more hours to build up the courage to call Edward. Scared human. But when I did I felt all the stress lift from my shoulders at the sound of his beautiful voice.

"Bella?" He sounded winded, yet concerned, "What's wrong? Why aren't you in school?"

"I skipped today," I said, hoping that he wouldn't be upset with me.

"What?" He questioned angrily. I groaned quietly. "I know that it's hard when I'm gone on sunny days, believe me I hate it, but you shouldn't skip school."

"One day out of school hardly matters. Especially for that fact that this won't be the only time I'll be going through high school." Edward was silent on the other end, as he understood my allusion to the fact that I'll become a vampire one day.

"I'm not worried about your academic status," He replied, ignoring my comment, "I'm only worried about you being all alone at your house when something bad could happen to you and no one would be around to help. I wish that you'd be more careful when I'm not around."

I sighed. I was letting this conversation stray from the real reason I called. "Edward. I believe we have a date tonight."

"Oh we do?" He said, in a teasing voice. He was as happy as I was to change topics to avoid arguing.

"Yes. Remember a few days ago when I said we should go see Angela's show? Well, I had completely forgotten about it until just now. It's at 7:30 so we should get there at about 7? I'm not sure what time to get there. I've never been to a ballet before."

"It sounds about right." I heard Edward talk to someone else in a rushed tone. "Bella, I'm sorry but I have to go now. We are just about to hunt. I'll be at your house as soon as I can."

"Don't rush yourself." I said, trying my best to sound cheery. "I won't do anything reckless. Have fun?"

He laughed and with a parting goodbye we both hung up the phone. I felt strangely empty when I couldn't hear his voice. I made my way to the couch in the living room and laid down on it.

I cradled my injured hand underneath my chin and allowed myself to be enveloped in the story Alice revealed to me. I tried to imagine Edward as a savage beast meeting timid Aria. Beauty and the Beast. I laughed sarcastically. The two of them did not follow the right story line however. Edward was supposed to fall in love with Aria and she in turn would help him overcome his need for human blood. It would be a happy ever after.

Aria loved Edward still. Even if it wasn't confirmed I still knew. Alice's words still rang in my ears. "We have to make sure she never finds out Edward was the one that killed her friends." I closed my eyes. I couldn't put myself in Aria's shoes. I had never been accused of murdering anyone so I didn't understand the rage behind that.

Aria was good. She was so good that she became bad through betrayal by those teachers at her school and Edward when he never returned to her. Of course she'd want revenge for that. But if she ever knew he was the reason her whole life was shattered, she would probably…

No. I wouldn't allow myself to think up such sickening scenarios. She won't find out because Alice will do something. When Alice was telling me the story last night I could sense that she had been thinking about what to do for a long time. Alice will find a way….Alice will…help….

I woke up to the sound of the front door opening. I jumped, banging my burned hand again to my face. It was just Charlie coming back from a day of fishing. Glancing out the window, I saw that the sun was setting.

"Sleep the whole day?" Charlie asked, turning a corner into the kitchen.

I yawned, stretching my arms above my head. I froze. "What time is it?" I called to Charlie, standing up urgently, hoping I had enough time to get ready before the show.

"It is about 5:45." Charlie replied. Relief washed over me as I started to ascend the stairs. I had about an hour before I had to drive down to the University for the show. I wondered when Edward would arrive.

My question was answered when I opened the door to my bedroom. Edward was sitting on my bed, his eyes a bright gold and his hair tousled. He had a very playful expression on his face as he wrapped me up into his arms and pulled me back onto my bed with him.

"Someone is in a good mood," I commented, brushing back his hair so I could see all of his face. I always enjoyed seeing Edward right after a hunt. He was always so energetic and he would always let me kiss in for a long time because he was in better control.

I moved in to do just that when he stopped me. "Don't you have to get ready for the show?"

"What do you mean?" I asked. I didn't assume I had to do anything really. Just put on some clean jeans and I was ready to go.

Edward laughed, kissing my cheek and brushing his eyelashes against my skin. I shuddered and pulled him closer. "You need to dress up."

"You're not…" But I stopped midsentence as I leaned back to glimpse what he was wearing. He had long black slacks and a white shirt and tie. His jacket was hanging over one of the bedposts. " I don't know what to wear."

He disappeared from under my arms and I hit the mattress with a gentle thud. He emerged from my closet, a black dress in hand. "I've never seen that before." I said, accusingly. He had obviously just bought that for me.

"It was in your closet." He said, innocently. "Hurry put it on. We have to get going soon."

I snatched the dress from him with a testy look. I didn't like it when he bought stuff for me. It just widened the gap. Checking in the bathroom mirror, I saw that the dress fit me to a t. The only thing that looked strange was my heavily bandaged hand, but there was no fixing that.

Walking back into my bedroom I saw that Edward was once again seated on my bed. He was seated very still, even more statuesque than ever. "How do I look?" I asked, turning in a 360 for him.

His eyes glinted with danger. He growled softly and said, "Good enough to eat."

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**I'm sorry if this is terrible writing. It's been so long since I've done anything like this. I'll do better next time I swear. **


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